System of electric distribution for railways



(No Model.) 7 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. N; w. PERRY. SYSTEM OI ELEGTRIG DISTRIBUTION FOR RAILWAYS. v No. 466,367;

Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

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N. w. PERRY. SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTIQN FOR RAILWAYS- No. 466,367. 6 Patented Jan. .5, 1892.

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SYSTEM OF BLEOTRIG DISTRIBUTION FOR RAH-WAYS,

Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

g w WM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON IV. PERRY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION FOR RAILWAYSn SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,367, dated. January 5, 1892.

Application filed March 2. 1891.

. Serial No. 383,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

main current.

Be it known that I, NELSON \V. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Electric Distribution, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the distribution of electricity by a current which remains constant in quantity, while the translating devices are arranged in series with one another and with the generator or dynamo, and it includes a current-conveyer made in sections, each section being normally connected electrically with its neighboring section; parallel sectional working conductors, each section of which is electrically insulated from the adjacent sections; means for diverting the normal current from the normal circuit in such manner that it will pass through the translating device and return to the normal circuit; devices by which the changes in the path of the current may be effected without interrupting its continuity, and provisions for siding and branch lines.

The invention consists in the system of distribution hereinafter set forth and in the various circuits and instrumentalities employed in the practical application of the same.

I have illustrated the system as applied to an electric railway.

In the drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic View representing several sections of the normal circuit and of the working conductors and showing the translating device or motor in three positions relatively to the switch, the course of the current in the several positions being indicated by arrows and the motor being represented as traveling from left to right-,or in the same direction as the main vcurrent Fig. 2 is acorresponding view representing the motor as traveling from right to left, or in a direction oppositelto that of the Figs. 3 and 4 show the switch closed and open. Figs. 5 and 6 show a battery carried by the car and its connections.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a single-track road. provided with a siding. Fig. 8 shows a branch roadconnected by the loop 7 system. Fig. 9showsabranch road provided 7 with current from the return-wire of the A A 4A &c., represent sections of the main 5 5 current-conveyer or normal circuit. Each of these sections has at its ends mercury-cups b, separated by a space from the cups at the ends of the adjacent sections. Into each pair of adjacent cups normally take U shaped double pole-contacts B B B (to, which bridge the gaps between the sections and render them electrically continuous.

O O 0 &c., represent sections of one line of working conductors, and 0 O 0 850., sections of another line. These sections are electrically discontinuous, but may be made mechanically continuous by bridging the gaps with insulating material.

D D D &c., represent electric conductors overlapping the ends of the sections 0 G 850., and hereinafter called supplemental conductors.

E E E &c., are solenoid-magnets whose armatures are adapted to actuate levers L, with which the forks B B, &c., are connected.

The section A of the main circuit is electrically connected with the working conductor O by means of a wire a c, the section A with C by means of a wire a 0 &c.

The section A of the main circuit is electrically connected with the working conductor 0 through wire e a, solenoid-magnet E, and wire 0' e, the section A with working conductor O through wire e a solenoid-magnet E, and wire 0 e.

The sections A A A 850., are connected with the supplemental conductors D-D' D 850., by wires 01 a d a d a &c.

F is amotor provided with trolleys f and f or other current gathering devices adapted to contact with the working conductors.

H with the electrical connections made as above described and the normal circuit closed a motor comes onto a section of the working conductor 0 O, for instance, a subsidiary or derived circuit will be formed through the wire a 0, working conductor 0, motor-F, working conductor 0, wire c e, magnet E, and wire e a. The current through this derived circuit will energize the magnet; but the re sistance may be too great to allow suflicient current to pass to actuate the armature of magnet E and lift the fork B. The motor ICO will then be in multiple andthe current will not be sufficient to actuate it. It is desired to place the motor in series, and this can be accomplished by raising the fork B. To insure this a battery G is placed upon the car. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) In circuit with battery G is a solenoid-magnet H, whose armature is connected with one end of a lever I, the other end of which normally engages with contact J. This contact may be insured by means of an adjustable spring 2'. This battery-current will pass via contact J, lever I, magnet IT, m0- tor F, trolley f, working conductor C, wire 0 e, magnet E, wire 6 a, the normal circuit, wire a 0, working conductor 0, and back to battery m'ct trolley f, or in the reverse direction. The current thus formed will be sufficiently strong to actuate the solenoid-magnet E, which will lift the fork 1- thereby breaking the direct connection between maincircuit sections A and A and sending the main current through the motor F. The course of the main current will then be through section A, wire a a, working conductor O, trolley f, battery G, contact J, lever I, magnet II, motor F, trolley f working conductor 0', wire 0 e, magnet E, and wire e a to section A. The same current which actuates the solenoid-magnet E will tend to actuate the magnet ]I. It is essential that the lever I shall not be withdrawn from the contact J before the fork B is withdrawn from the mercury cups 1). This maybe guarded against by making the lever-I of comparatively large inertia. When the switch B has been opened and the main current is switched through solenoid-magnet 11, it will actuate the lever I, throwing it into contact at J, and the course of the main current will then be through section A, wire a 0, working conductor 0, trolley ficontactJ leverI, magnet H, motor F, trolley f, working conductor 0, wire a e, magnet E, wire (2 a, and section A. As the trolley-wheels pass off from the section C 0 electrical connection between the wires 0 and C is broken, the armature is released, and the fork B drops back into the mercury-cups, thus making direct electrical connection between the section A and A through the mercury-cups and the fork B. The circuit through magnet H being broken, the lever I falls back into contact with J, bringing the switch on the car into its normal position, so that the battery is free to act as soon as the trolley-wheels reach the succeedmg section. The momentum of the moving car carries it over the intervening space,

which may be very short. The car, being in motion, will by its momentum drive the armature of its motor, thus converting it for the time into a dynamo. As soon as the trolleywheels reach a new section a circuit is completed, as before, the battery acts and is assisted in moving the switches by the current generated by the motor, the fork B is raised, the battery G is out out of circuit, and the motor is again in series with the adjacent sections of the normal circuit.

With the connections thus far described, when a car passes from one section to another, the circuit will be momentarily broken while the switch is closing, thus causing a spark at the trolley-wheels. To avoid the irregularity of current and the spark thus caused, I provide supplemental conductors D D D which lap over the adjacent sections of O C &c., but are insulated therefrom. The sec tions 0' C C of the working conductors are made shorter than the sections G 0 C .When the trolley reaches the overlapping portion of the supplemental conductor D, two paths will be open for the current,one through the solenoid-magnet E, as before, and one through the connection d M. As soon as the wheel passes the lap the current through E is broken and the switch is closed; but during the time occupied in this closing the current finds its way around the switch to the main circuit through the connection (1' a When the car is going in the direction of the current, the supplemental conductors may be connected with that section of the normal circuit next beyond the switch controlling the section from which the car reaches the lap and the supplemental conductors may lap the sections of the working conductor at but one end. This arrangement would afford no supplemental path when the car is traveling in a direction opposite to that of the current. The supplemental path should short-circuit the switch which controls the section the car is leaving. For a car traveling with the current it is immaterial whether the supplemental path short-circuits one switch or more. By making it short-circuit the switch controlling the section the car is leaving and the switch controlling the succeeding section and lapping the supplemental conductors over the ends of the two adjacent sections of one line of working conductors a supplemental path is provided for cars travelingin either direction.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown the positions of the switches and the course of the current with the car in several positions while going from left to right. The course of the current with the motor making electrical connection between corresponding sections of the working conductors, as upon section 0 C, Fig. 1, has already been described. Upon section 0 0 one trolley is represented as upon working conductor 0 while the other embraces both C and the supplemental conductorD Thecurrentafterpassingthrough the motor divides, part following its former path through 0 wire 0 e, solenoid E, and wire e a to normal-circuit section A and part passing through supplemental conductor D and wire (I a to section A. Upon sec tion 0 (3 one trolley is representedas in contact with 0 while the other trolley has just passed from ,C and is in contact with D only.

The path of the current is we 0, the motor D and wire (F. a? toA.

There being no current through solenoid E the fork B will drop right to left. In the latter case, while the trolleys are in contact with sections of the working conductors G and 0 for instance, the

course of the current is the same as shown in j the trolley section 0 O of Fig. 1. When comes in contact with one of the supplemental conductors D, for instance, two paths will be open for the current, one through solenoidmagnet E to A and one through D and wire d a to A When the trolley passes off the conductor 0 the current through the magnet E is broken, and while the other trolley is in, contact with G the fork 13 drops into the mercury-cups and the normal circuit is again close In the connection a lamp or other device K, which may serve as v a signal and which is adapted to be operated by an electric current. As there is no electrlc current through the wire a 0, except when there is a motor upon that section, the lamp will be lighted when a car comes upon that.

' section and will go out when the car passes from the section, thus affording a simple automatically-actuated signal, which indicates whether there is a car upon the section.

Fig. 7 illustrates the connections for a siding upon a single-track road, the drawing being made upon the assumption that the outgoing car keeps the main track. 0 s and C 8 represent the working conductors for the switch. D Dand D are the supplemetal con v ductors for themain track, which are made two part, and D s is an additional supplemental conductor for the siding.

The normalcircuit section A is connected with the twopart supplemental conductor D bya wire cl cl a In this arrangement the sidingis operated by the switch 13 is accomplished by means of the alternativepath d a or d a A car going from C O to O 0 must short-circuit switch B which is accomplished by the wire cl a from 0. O to C 0' must short-circuit the switch B, which is accomplished by the alternative path (1 c Fig. 9 illustrates connections for providing current for a branch from the return-wire of the main circuit. A car going in either diand the alternate path for the car on the siding must therefore A car going.

the alternative path be through D and the connection d a. (Shown in dotted line.)

Fig. 10 shows an arrangement for connectingroads operated by difierent dynamos. The operation will be understood from the diagram without further description.

It will be seen that the number of sections into which the main circuit and the working 8 conductors or trolley-lines are divided need not exceed the maximum number of translating devices to be used upon the line.

Since the various sections are only brought into circuit by the motor, an accident which breaks thatcircuit-such as the burning out of a motor, a car leaving its track, or a trolley V I leaving its Wire-automatically closes the nor- 0 I prefer to place a mal circuit and there is. no interruption of other cars on thecircuit, as is the case where: 9c

distribution for movable translating devices,

of a sectional current-conveyer, switches normally closing the gaps between the sections,

two lines of sectional conductors, the corresponding sections of each line being connected with separate sections of the main IOO current-conveyor, supplemental conductors lapping one line of conductors and insulated therefrom, and electrical connections between the supplemental wires and the main current-conveyer, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

' 2. The combination of a sectional currents conveyer, switches normally closing the gaps between the sections, magnets controlling the switches, two lines of sectional conductors, supplemental conductors lapping the ends of the sections of one line of conductors, movable translating devices,aconnection between a sectionof the main current-conveyer and a section of one line of conductors, a connection from the corresponding section of the otherli'ne of conductors with the switch-controlling magnet,a connection from the magnet to a section of the main current-conveyer beyond that to which the corresponding sec- I20 tion ofthe first line of conductors is connected, and a connection from the supplemental conductor to a section of the main conveyer beyond the switch which controls the section which the translating device is 1255 leaving when it reaches the supplemental. conductor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' 3. i The combination, in a system of electric distribution for movable translating devices,

of the sectional currentconveyer A A, switches B B, normally closing the gapsbetween the sections, the sectional workingcon ductors O O and 0 0 wire a 0, connecting In going from C O to O O the alter- 7o section A of the main conveyer with section G of the working conductor, the magnet E, adapted, when energized,to actuate the switch, wire 6, connecting section 0 of the working conductor with magnet E, the wire e a, connecting magnet E with section A of the main conveyer, the supplemental conductor I), and wire (1 a connecting supplemental conductor D with main-conveyer section A it controlling the succeeding section, the supplemental conductor D s, lapping siding-section 0 s, and a wire connecting supplemental conductor D s with a section of the main conveyer beyond the switch which controls the siding, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination,in a system of electric distribution for movable translating devices,

of a sectional conveyer A A, switches B B,

normally closing the gaps between the sections, the sectional trolley-lines C C and C 0 the magnet E, adapted to actuate the switches, wire ac, connecting section A of the main conveyer with trolley-section 0, wire 0 0, connecting trolley-section C with magnet E, and wire 6 a, connecting magnet E with section A of the working conductor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

G. The combination, in a system of electric distribution for movable translating devices, of the sectional current-conveyer A A, mercury-cups b at the ends of each section thereof, forked arms B, normally taking into the adjacent mercury-cups, magnets E, adapted, when energized, to withdraw the forked arms from the mercury-cups, the sectional trolleylines (3 C and C wire a 0, connecting section A of the main conveyer with trolley-scetion 0, wire 0 e, connecting trolley-section C with magnet E, and wire 8 a, connecting magnet E with section A of the working conductor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7 The combination, in a system of electric distribution for movable translating devices, of a sectional current-conveyerA A, switches B B, normally closing the gaps between the sections, magnets E E, controlling the switches,two lines of sectional conductors O O and C C, the corresponding sections of each line being connected with separate sections of the main conveyer, the battery G, the magnet H, the lever I, adapted to be actuated thereby, and a battery-circuit through magnet It and the main switch-controlling magnet, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination, in a system of electric distribution for movable translating devices, of a sectional current-conveyer, switches normally closing the gaps between the sections, magnets controlling the switches, two lines of sectional conductors, subsidiary circuits from the main conveyer through the switch-controlling magnets, adapted to be closed as the terminals of a translating device contactwith corresponding sections of the working conductors and become the path for the maincurrentwhen a switch has been opened, and an electricallyactuated signal in the subsidiary circuit, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination, in a system of electric distribution for movable translating devices, of a sectional current-oonveyer A A, the switches B B, normally closing the gaps between the sections, the sectional working conductors C C and 0 C the corresponding sections of each line being connected with separate sections of the main conveyer, and an electrically-actuated signal in one of the connections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

NELSON \V. PERRY.

\Vitn esses:

JAMES N. RAMSEY, GEORGE E. PARKINSON. 

